Crop Production News 2024 - Issue #3

Crop Production Update:

• In-crop herbicide application is underway across the province. Some areas have experienced rain and windy conditions that have slowed spraying progress. Make sure you’re spraying in good environmental conditions to maximize returns on herbicide investment and avoid spray drift. Learn more about best management practices for herbicide use with the article in this issue.
• Recently, there have been lots of inquiries from producers regarding kochia management. Kochia can be resistant to different herbicide groups; therefore, it’s important to identify herbicide resistant populations early in your field for best management. Weed samples can be sent to the Crop Protection Lab for testing.
• Some areas are seeing crop damage from insects including flea beetles, cutworms and grasshoppers. Grasshopper activity is high in areas around Swift Current, Aberdeen, Rosetown, Outlook, and Strasbourg. Some insecticides are being sprayed in different areas of the province for these pests. Scout your fields regularly for potential insect damage and make insecticide decisions based on economic thresholds outlined in the 2024 Guide to Crop Protection or by calling the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.
• When evaluating insecticide options for your fields, keep in mind lambda-cyhalothrin products have application restrictions. Lambda-cyhalothrin products cannot be applied to any crops used for animal feed in any way or that are grazed by livestock. Learn more about lambda-cyhalothrin restrictions in this issue.
• The dry conditions across many areas in the last few years have limited disease pressure. With the moisture much of the province has received so far, there is a greater risk of diseases developing in crops this year. Mitigate this risk by frequently scouting crops throughout the growing season, especially in humid conditions and applying fungicides when appropriate.

Crop Protection Lab Update:

During the previous two weeks the Crop Protection Lab (CPL) received eight plant disease samples for diagnosis, one insect and two weed samples for identification, as well as 11 Elm tree samples that are being tested for Dutch Elm Disease. If you have a tree that you suspect has DED, get it tested! Sample submission guidelines and forms can be found online.

The plant disease samples submitted to the lab have been garlic and cereal crops. Multiple garlic producers are having issues with yellowing leaves with apparent tip burn. Testing is being completed on these samples currently. Preliminary results suggest that these foliar symptoms are likely related to root health issues. The cereal crops submitted have all had foliar symptoms listed as the symptoms of concern. These symptoms have included foliar spotting as well as chlorotic streaking. The cool wet weather of late is conducive to the spread of some foliar pathogens so it is likely some of the foliar problems may be related to fungal leaf diseases; however, testing is underway to rule out bacterial and viral causes of leaf health issues as well. If you have a sample to submit to the CPL please be sure to follow the sample submission guidelines.

In this issue:

Best Management Practices to Maximize Herbicide Efficacy Herbicides are a large investment for producers each year. To ensure they are as efficient as possible, learn about some risks to address when spray planning.

Improve Soil Health by Replacing Summer Fallow with Cover Crops - Summer fallow makes soil more susceptible to erosion and nutrient loss. Alternative options can provide numerous soil benefits.

Lambda-cyhalothrin for 2024 - Be aware that the restrictions on lambda-cyhalothrin products are still in place. There are different alternatives available to help manage grasshoppers and other pests.

Verticillium longisporum in Saskatchewan Canola - Learn more about verticillium stripe distribution in canola crops in Saskatchewan in 2023.

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